What is the best way to get through to facility managers whether it be for hospitals, schools, office buildings or hotels with regards to the duty of care responsibilities in indoor air quality problems resulted by mould? Most FM managers recite compliance to minimum standards since they need to keep costs down rather than think of the benefits of energy savings and increased productivity of occupants.
If the contract - which may reference standards of some nature, or may directly spell out requirements - stipulates it, a Facility Management provider firm is contractually obliged to ensure the defined and agreed upon indoor air quality, just as the Principal is contractually obliged to pay as defiined for the services.
If the contract does not contain such reuqirements, then there is no obligation.
In any business relationship, you get what you pay for.
With our ongoing activities in the framework of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) we are going to tackle the problems you mentioned:
Two technical ISO committees are about to initiate a joint working group to elaborate an “Indoor Air Quality Management System” based on a threefold approach: (i) initial diagnosis of the indoor environment to identify all relevant aspects that may affect indoor air quality, (ii) minimum requirements for indoor air quality inspections, and (iii) requirements for the implementation of an "Indoor Air Quality Management System”.
You are more than welcome to join our future efforts.
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